Salamander Night Patrol
an amphibian road crossing event
Taking care of our river systems means also taking care of all our smaller animal friends, including amphibians! In the spring, amphibians migrate from their wintering habitats to vernal pools to breed.During the warm spring nights when this migration occurs, they can end up crossing many roadways - which puts them at risk of not making it to their vernal pools! At our Salamander Night Patrol event, we will help amphibians cross the road while counting them for the North Branch Nature Center’s (NBNC) Amphibian Conservation Program.
In the last two years, UMATR has hosted two amphibian road crossing events in our region. Data collected during our Salamander Night Patrol will be submitted to NBNC for their Amphibian Road Crossing Program.
After an excellent online training provided through our colleagues over at North Branch Nature Center (NBNC) in Montpelier, VT, we plan to host our own Amphibian Road Crossing: Salamander Patrol again this spring, for the third year in a row.
On March 21st, 2023, We had an online training seminar provided by North Branch Nature Center's Teacher-Naturalist, Pete Kerby-Miller. Through this training, we got an introduction to Vermont's amphibians, what the Amphibian Road Crossing program is, proper amphibian handling techniques, and more!
If you were unable to join us - click the link below to watch the training!
And don't miss out on our very own UMATR Amphibian Road Crossing event coming up this spring. Find out more information below!
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After our training, we will host our Salamander Night Patrol on a warm, rainy night sometime from late March into May. Since our amphibian friends are particular about their migration crossing weather, we have to make nearly last-minute decisions for when we will be going out. As spring approaches, we will be on the look-out for the best weather days each week to determine when we think our amphibians may need our help. Because of the last-minute nature of these events, we have created a UMATR Region Salamander Night Patrol sign-up list.
Location depends on weather, data collection needs, and likelihood of seeing amphibians! We will most likely be hosting at least one night in Richford, VT, but there are other options, as well.
By registering, you will receive updates on when our Salamander Night Patrol event will be happening, and be notified of when and where we will be meeting up.
Sign-up for these notifications by filling out the form below!